Storage pallets



Filed Sept. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 59,569 Claims. (Cl. 248120) Thisinvention relates to a suspension type moveable and transportablestorage pallet. More particularly, it relates to a moveable storagepallet which can be lifted from the upper portion thereof, rather thanfrom the bottom portion or base as heretofore, and which can besuperimposed one above the other to facilitate and save storage space.

One of the important features of warehousing or storage of materials isthat of efficient materials handling under such conditions so as toobtain desired results with a minimum of effect and the utilization of aminimum of space, thereby keeping the costs of an item down to aminimum.

With the above in view, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a suspension type of pallet provided with sufficiently rigid andstrong side pieces so as to permit easy lifting of the pallet whenloaded, from the upper portion thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pallet which canbe mounted, one above the other, forming several decks, so as to permitor facilitate storage within confined areas while at the same timeutilizing to a maximum the space available in such area.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pallet havingsides the upper opposed parts of which readily accommodate a liftingmember to permit easy removal of the pallet or superimposition thereof.

One other object of the present invention is to provide a removeablestorage pallet which has reinforced sides, the upper portions of whichare provided with open housing means for permitting the insertionthereinto and holding of the lifter members or fork members of a lifterunit or machine.

A still further and more specific object of the present invention is toprovide a storage pallet comprising a framework which has side membersforming walls and a bottom portion forming a floor and providing an areafor accommodating a plurality of cylindrical members or rolls ofmaterial, whether textile or other type of material, and which palletcan be stored and readily removed by transshipment or by movement intoany desired area, the side walls of said pallet containing reinforcingsections which are adapted to accommodate the lifting member of ahoisting device so as to readily carry a multiple number of such palletsin any desired direction, and for lifting the same within a truck fortransportation to another area away from the source of supply.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an end view of a preferredembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the left end portion shown inFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a detail taken on 5-5 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 represents an end view showing the embodiment of the presentinvention stacked in decks so as to permit easy stacking and efiicientuse of storage space.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer tolike parts throughout, it will be noted nite States Patent 3,053,492Patented Sept. 11, 1962 'ice that the invention comprises a storagepallet 10 having a bottom or base frame section 11 containing parallelside pieces or members 12 and 13. Said base section has a series ofcross pieces 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d from which extend upwardly extendingparallel side pieces 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13drespectively. Said upward pieces may be joined to the cross pieces byspot welding or other suitable fastening means. It will be noted thatsaid cross pieces are of any suitable structural material such as angleor channel iron and are also interconnected with a flat stock member 14so as to afford rigidity to the base. Furthermore, as indicated. saidcross pieces are spot welded or the like to the side long pieces 12 and13, thus forming a firm support as a base. Said side pieces 12 and 13are also provided with flat stock 15 with upper reinforcing stock orpieces 16.

Said cross pieces 11a, 11b, 11c and 11d as indicated are each providedwith an upright bent portion so that at their upward bend they haveextensions 17 beyond the end of the longitudinal side pieces 12 and 13as shown in FIGURE 4. There are provided a sufficient number of suchupwardly extending members to form a firm and rigid base. Such extendingportions 17 overlap thus, forming a means for resting on a constructionof similar formation as shown in FIGURE 6.

As a means of reinforcement for each of said members 12 and 13 there isprovided for each upwardly extending members 12a, 12b, 12c, 12a, 13a,13b, 13c, and 13d respectively, a reinforcing member 18 which extendsupwardly at an incline 19 from the cross members 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11dand are provided with a right angled bend 20 so as to be attached to orforming part of each upwardly extending pieces 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12d,said right angled bend being inwardly of each upright member of thedevice as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Said member 18 is attached toeach upwardly extending piece by any suitable means of reinforcementsuch as spot welding or riveting or bolt means. There is furtherprovided for each upright, another member 21 of flat stock materialhaving a number of bent sections such as shown in FIG. 4. Said member 21consisting of an inclined connecting section 22 which is fixed at itsend to the bottom cross pieces, an upwardly extending vertical section23 fixed to member 18, an inwardly inclined section 24 which is incontact with and supports the right angled bend 30, a verticallyextending section 25, which in turn is bent at right angles towards theupwardly extending inward piece to form a section 26. These are eachspot welded to upper vertically extending members 12a, 12b, 12c and 12drespectively, thus forming an opening 27 which is adapted to hold therespective prong of a fork lifting truck or other means, not shown,Whereby the unit as made, is lifted, not from the lower portion, butfrom the upper portion thereof. Furthermore, said side section 26 foreach upright is so constructed that there is left a vertical extension28 forming a side as a guide and side piece section 26 as a support aswill hereinafter be more fully described and as shown in FIGURE 6 of thedrawings.

It is to be noted that the description of one side of the device appliesalso to the corresponding opposite side of the device, since both sidesare of the same type ofmaterial and joined in the same manner. Said sidepiece section 27 is further provided with a horizontally extending rightangled reinforcing member 30 which acts as a guide for the prongs of thelifting fork when the pallet is to be moved or placed in any suitablestorage area. Also, this member 30 prevents the prongs of the liftingfork from damaging any rolls 31 housed in the pallet.

From the construction disclosed hereinabove, it will be noted that thereis provided a reinforced pallet for accommodating the prongs of alifting device. Said pallet at the same time provides a rigid frameworkwhich is adapted to contain a plurality of rolls of suitable textile,fabric or like material which may be either stored or transported.Furthermore, the particular type of pallets disclosed and illustratedherein can be transported on any ordinary flatcar or type of truck orvehicle wherein these can be placed in the vehicle in groups of twoalongside each other, and decked one above the other to as many as fourdecks as shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings. It will also be noted thatwhen there is a plurality of these units stacked one above the other,and it is desired to move them, the respective prongs of the liftingtruck are inserted into the respective accommodating side piece section27 of the pallet. In this manner the pallets can be easily transportedor moved without producing too heavy a strain on the forks of thelifting truck. Also, the sides of the pallet are provided with sheets ofcardboard of plywood 14, 14a and 14b, on the sides and as a floor as toform a reinforcement for the floor and the side and to protect the rollsof the material which are contained by the pallet. A type of pallet madein accordance with the present invention is readily stacked and can bemoved in groups, one above the other. Such type of pallet is notablyeconomically made, but is rigid and of strong construction, therebyacting not only for material handling, but also as a storage containerfor different types of rolled material.

As shown, the device is adapted to hold nine rolls of material, each ofwhich weighs between l50200 pounds, thus affording a rigid and strongcontainer for such rolls. The type of lift truck that can be used inthis connection may be provided with any type of forks whether they areof the Hyster or Clark lifter type of truck. A roll of 8l0" in diameterweighs between 90-l25 lbs.

While a preferred form of the embodiment has been disclosed andillustrated, it is to be noted that various changes may be made as toform, use of material, and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe scope of the invention as claimed herein.

I claim:

1. A moveable storage frame apparatus comprising a base portion, membersextending vertically from the sides on said base, reinforcing means oneach side of the apparatus intermediate the base and verticallyextending means, another reinforcing member for each of said verticallyextending means interconnecting the vertically extending means with thebase and having reinforcing right angled means at its upper portionattached to the verti- 4 cally extending means, thus forming a freereceptive area of the vertically extending means for accommodatingprongs of a lift truck and horizontally extending reinforcing means insaid last means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the base and verticallyextending members form horizontally extending recesses on each side ofthe base to permit superposition of the base over a similar apparatus.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the vertically extendingmembers and said second reinforcing members form a continuouslongitudinal retaining area permitting lifting of the apparatus, andhaving right angle bends forming a reinforcing longitudinally extendingmember.

4. A moveable storage pallet comprising a base having a pair ofhorizontally extending spaced parallel members of angle iron, aplurality of cross connecting members extending between said parallelmembers, each of said cross members having upwardly extending portions,means interconnecting the upwardly extending portions with thehorizontally extending parallel members, a reinforcing member fixed tothe upwardly extending and cross extending members, another upwardlyextending reinforcing member for said upwardly extending member andcross members and base, said last named member having an inwardly bentportion connected with the upwardly extending portion short of its edgethereof, and a reinforcing angle iron member extending through all ofthe upwardly extending members at right angles to form a rigidconnection therewith, and forming connecting means for attachment to asuperimposed pallet of the same construction.

5. A pallet construction according to claim 4, in which the base isprovided with a flooring and the upwardly extending connecting membersare provided with side walls, and the upward portions of the upwardlyextending members are so set as inwardly to form a continuoushorizontally extending area on the side of the base and at the top ofthe extending members to provide a pair of retention areas.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,832,772 Hallowell Nov. 17, 1931 2,046,095 Shaw June 30, 1936 2,632,567Richtmyer Mar. 24, 1953 2,775,360 Phillips Dec. 25, 1956 2,778,590Jeannero Ian. 22, 1957

